Nantucket Barn Owls

Julia, upon getting back from New Zealand, went back to Nantucket to continue studying the Barn Owl population there - the largest population in MA (it is a state-listed species) and one of the most northern in the United States (maybe the world!). Perhaps unsurprisingly for a species at its northern extent, they are going great guns after the really mild winter - she has found over 60 chicks this year thus far, a number way above all other years.

An older chick awaiting banding - from the 2011 season.

She put a camera in one of the nestboxes this year and compiled many of the "highlights" of the first bit of the season into a video:

Delicious, aye? Crazy to think that they swallow almost all their prey whole - how lucky we are to have teeth! (not to mention utensils).

Another baby of the 2011 season, a little younger.